King's Quest Omnipedia
Advertisement

Role-Playing Games (RPG) is a term used to describe games where a player takes on a role of a character and controls them. This is often linked to games that have stat building and leveling elements in which the character becomes stronger over time (though not technically always the case).[1][2][3][4]

Background[]

The Williams defined role playing as more than games with leveling up, stats and monster combat, but they saw any game where you take on a character and have to think outside of the box from that characters perspective, solve predicaments, and find solutions, as one would have to do in real life as actual role-playing. Mindless arcade games would not be role-playing, but adventure games were to them the true essence of role playing.[5]

The Sierra 1987/1988 catalogues mentions this in a section on King's Quest... "Step into a 3-d animated adventure where you take on the lead adventure role. Become the main character in a story that changes every move you make. Determine your own fate."

Ken Williams referred to games like Police Quest as what he called "reality role-playing" genre to separate them from other Sierra Sierra series such as King's Quests, Space Quests, and other fantasy or science fiction based adventure games. He discussed the possibility of creating other reality role-playing games in genres such as fireman, lawyer, airline pilot, race car driver, politician, military hero, school teacher, white water after, mountain climber, etc.[6] The 1988 Sierra catalogue contrasted Space Quest against other Sierra adventure games.

Space Quest is just fun to play. The science fiction theme is a nice change from typical role-playing adventures, and the consistently sarcastic humor is equally refreshing".

Even Larry has been described as;

It's an RPG with a risque twist.

So perhaps, its not that odd, that King's Quest and other Sierra games have been described as examples of Role-Playing Game genre over the years. In particular King's Quest V was described as an entry in the 'role-playing adventure series' in advertisements in Sierra's own catalogs and magazines.[7]

Role-Playing Adventures (stat-less rp gaming)[]

According to the King's Quest V NES manual the game …is an adventure role-playing game in which you control all the movement and actions of the main character, King Graham.[8]

Nintendo Power even called the NES version a Role-Playing Game as well.

Konami's NES version of the fifth game in the popular PC-based RPG series lets players continue the rivalry between King Graham and the wicked sorcerer, Mordack.
FAMED RPG COMES TO THE NES
King's Quest V was released in June of 1992. Because so many NES games came out that month, we passed on covering it then. It continues to generate so many phone calls out to our Game Counselors though, that we decided that a review was in order. Although it was originally a computer game, this RPG translated well to the eight-bit format.

Reviews and articles for King's Quest for the Sega Master system also referred to as an Adventure/RPG. As did previews for the cancelled Sega CD version of King’s Quest V.

King's Quest V won the 1991 Software Publishers Association Excellence in Software Award for Best Fantasy Role-Playing/Adventure Program,

Strong's museum describes King's Quest I as; "Roberta William’ King’s Quest took the role-playing game genre to new heights by adding animated graphics and setting the stage for games such as Myst and The Walking Dead." "[9]

The Quest for the Crown manual states:

Become Sir Graham and travel through lands of myth and magic to recover the three great treasures…

King's Quest IV won the "1989 Best Adventure or Fantasy Role-Playing Game" award at the SPA Excellence in Software Awards.

In the KQ4 manual:

…where you become the main character. In this game, the main character is Princess Rosella, daughter of the dying King Graham.

The hint books talk about taking on the roles of Graham, Gwydion, or Rosella, and thinking for them, and maybe even dieing for them, as you play the game as them, see Introduction (KQ3 Hintbook), Introduction (KQ4 Hintbook), and Introduction (KQ5 Hintbook).

To play an adventure game is to enter a world of fantasy where you are the main character. You will be Gwydion. You will guide him. You will think for him. Unfortunately if you are not careful, you will die with him. As Gwydion, throughout your quest, you will encounter obstacles and puzzles designed to thwart you.
To play an adventure game is to enter a world of fantasy where you are the main character. You will be Rosella. You will guide her. You will think for her. Unfortunately if you are not careful, you will die with her. As Rosella, throughout your quest, you will encounter obstacles and puzzles designed to thwart you.
To play an adventure game is to enter a world of fantasy where YOU can control the main hero or heroine. You can pretend to be King Graham. You will guide him. You will think for him. He will be totally dependent on your actions and decisions. You can bring him to a successful conclusion. But, if you are not carefuI...you can also cause his unhappy death. As Graham, throughout the game, you will encounter obstacles and puzzles designed to thwart you.

Mark Seibert…was adamant in stressing that Mask…would…have elements of both real-time action and fantasy role-playing games but, "Its more of a mind game than a twitch game." With…real-time combat sequences, the ability to develop Connor (the central hero) any way you want…

3D Adventure/Action RPG (stat-based RP gaming)[]

KQ8 was the first game in the series (Hero's Quest/Quest For Glory beat King's Quest to the punch back in 1989) to actually add RPG character leveling mechanics, and stat improvements (via weapons and armor which raised health, armor and attack stats (for ranged and melee weapons)), and enemy combat.

From the KQ8 Website;

Playing the role of Connor, you must gather strength and courage and set out on the ultimate quest: reseat the Mask of Eternity and restore law, light and order to your world. Only then can global order be restored!

King's Quest: Mask of Eternity brings an entirely new feel to the world of adventure games. A radical return to the true essence of interactive games, Mask of Eternity blends the classic features of adventure games, the excitement of action games, and the intricate role-playing of fantasy games.

When Roberta returned to…her offices at Sierra recharged and ready to do what she does every time she designs a new adventure game — redefine the genre she helped create 15 years ago. Roberta made it clear this new game would make an almost radical return to the roots of interactive gameplay. To appeal to all kinds of gamers, it would have to mix aspects of adventure, action, and fantasy-role playing games. Her next title would represent a new type of game that was more than a hybrid of diverse gaming genres.

Notes[]

  • Winners always quit. King's Quest VII is different from other computer adventure and role-playing games in that players are prohibited from creating and hoarding a lot of "Saved games"-places in the action where one can return if things aren't going well. KQ7 allows only one save per game, automatically activated each time the player quits. It can be a slight bit annoying to have successfully played through nearly an entire game without quitting once, only to have to start over because of a computer crash, or the power being shut off accidentally. Quit often. Quit well. Then, after quitting, continue from where you were by choosing the "Continue Old Game" option.[10]
  • Peter Spear compares King's Quest series to early traditional 'fantasy role-playing games' in the Companion.
If you weren't into computers or computer games back then, you might not recall that computer adventure games (as opposed to fantasy role-playing games such as Wizardry or The Bard's Tale) were divided into two broad types: text adventures (no pictures) and graphic adventures (words and staticpictures). King's Quest was an animated adventure.
If you weren't into computers or computer games back then, you might not recall that computer adventure games (as opposed to fantasy role-playing games such as Wizardry, Ultima, Might and Magic, or Eye of the Beholder) were divided into two broad types: text adventures (no pictures) and graphic adventures (words and static pictures). King's Quest was an animated adventure.

Gallery[]

See also[]

Behind the scenes[]

References[]

  1. https://psychology.jrank.org/pages/547/Role-Playing-Psychodrama.html
  2. https://www.routledge.com/Role-play-as-a-Heritage-Practice-Historical-Larp-Tabletop-RPG-and-Reenactment/Mochocki/p/book/9780367673062
  3. https://www.gamespot.com/amp-articles/void-arena-will-be-an-rpg-with-no-levels-or-skill-points/1100-6486972/
  4. https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/10506/statless-diceless-systems
  5. The Inside View
  6. Inside View, Summer 1993: "I wanted to find the top cop, lawyer, airline pilot, fireman, race car driver, politician, military hero, school teacher, white water rafter, mountain climber, etc., and have them work with us on a simulation of their world. Chief Gates gives us the cop game. We are working with Emerson Fittipaldi to simulate racing, and expect to announce soon that Vincent Bugliosi, the lawyer who locked up Charles Manson, will be working with us to do a courtroom simulation. My goal is that products in the Reality Role-Playing scries will be viewed as serious simulations of real world events, not as games. If we do our jobs right, this will be the closest most of us will ever get to seeing the world through these people's eyes. We're also expanding the definition of adventure games by using them as educational simulations."-Ken Williams
  7. 1991 Sierra Catalog: "The latest edition in the award winning role-playing adventure series."
  8. KQ5 NES manual
  9. https://twitter.com/museumofplay/status/1036713057035198472
  10. KQC4E, pg 571
Advertisement